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Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'
Our Darkest Night: A Novel of Italy and the Second World War by Jennifer Robson
4 reviews
kelly_e's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Title: Our Darkest Night
Author: Jennifer Robson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4
Pub Date: January 5th 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Emotive • Informative • Underwhelming
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Inspired by true events, Our Darkest Night takes place in 1943 Italy, a time when life was becoming increasingly dangerous for Italian Jews. Faced with the threat of imprisonment or deportation now that Nazi Germany occupies much of her homeland, Antonina Mazin knows her father is right, she must leave Venice and everything she loves behind, including her personal identity. Her father enlists the help of a beloved friend and priest, and Antonina's becomes Nina, the wife of a Christian farmer named Nico. A story of family and sacrifice, of love and perseverance, and ultimately of survival, this is a deeply moving tale that amplifies the stories of Italian Jews.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Our Darkest Night was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021! I was left feeling a little disappointed, but don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful and heart-wrenching story, I just think my expectations were so high in large part because I loved The Gown so much. This novel is very well written, and the cover captures the story told within so beautifully. Historical Fiction is my go-to, but this one didn't stand out (maybe I've been reading too much lately?) Robson has done a tremendous job with the research here, and getting a different perspective (Italian Jews) was certainly welcomed, as I learned about a part of WWII I don't know much about. The emotional grip, I've come to know, and love, in a really good historical fiction novel, wasn't there. That makes it sounds like it wasn't emotional, which is was, it just wasn't that powerful all consuming emotion. The part I loved most is Nina's relationship with Stella, it slowly developed into a lasting friendship where each played a crucial role in the others survival. Although I can only ponder what these friendships must have meant in the face of such extreme circumstances. I also would have loved Rosa's story to have been a little more developed than it was, in my opinion there is so much potential for a powerful story there. A note to readers as well, I wish I had known there was a glossary of terms at the end of the book, as it would have helped in deciphering different terms while reading.
If you've enjoyed Jennifer Robson's work in the past, it's definitely worth picking up. It's also good for historical fiction fans, especially fans of WWII stories (this one offers a different perspective), and/or romantic stories.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• WWII historical fiction fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'What if something happens to you? I couldn't bear it if you were hurt. If they took you away from me.'
'I promise to be careful. But I want you to promise me something in return. If the worst should happen, you must remember what I told you just now. You are brace. You are strong. And you can bear anything.'"
Author: Jennifer Robson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4
Pub Date: January 5th 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Emotive • Informative • Underwhelming
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Inspired by true events, Our Darkest Night takes place in 1943 Italy, a time when life was becoming increasingly dangerous for Italian Jews. Faced with the threat of imprisonment or deportation now that Nazi Germany occupies much of her homeland, Antonina Mazin knows her father is right, she must leave Venice and everything she loves behind, including her personal identity. Her father enlists the help of a beloved friend and priest, and Antonina's becomes Nina, the wife of a Christian farmer named Nico. A story of family and sacrifice, of love and perseverance, and ultimately of survival, this is a deeply moving tale that amplifies the stories of Italian Jews.
💭 T H O U G H T S
Our Darkest Night was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021! I was left feeling a little disappointed, but don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful and heart-wrenching story, I just think my expectations were so high in large part because I loved The Gown so much. This novel is very well written, and the cover captures the story told within so beautifully. Historical Fiction is my go-to, but this one didn't stand out (maybe I've been reading too much lately?) Robson has done a tremendous job with the research here, and getting a different perspective (Italian Jews) was certainly welcomed, as I learned about a part of WWII I don't know much about. The emotional grip, I've come to know, and love, in a really good historical fiction novel, wasn't there. That makes it sounds like it wasn't emotional, which is was, it just wasn't that powerful all consuming emotion. The part I loved most is Nina's relationship with Stella, it slowly developed into a lasting friendship where each played a crucial role in the others survival. Although I can only ponder what these friendships must have meant in the face of such extreme circumstances. I also would have loved Rosa's story to have been a little more developed than it was, in my opinion there is so much potential for a powerful story there. A note to readers as well, I wish I had known there was a glossary of terms at the end of the book, as it would have helped in deciphering different terms while reading.
If you've enjoyed Jennifer Robson's work in the past, it's definitely worth picking up. It's also good for historical fiction fans, especially fans of WWII stories (this one offers a different perspective), and/or romantic stories.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• WWII historical fiction fans
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"'What if something happens to you? I couldn't bear it if you were hurt. If they took you away from me.'
'I promise to be careful. But I want you to promise me something in return. If the worst should happen, you must remember what I told you just now. You are brace. You are strong. And you can bear anything.'"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Genocide, Grief, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Death of parent, Gun violence, Rape, and Suicide
death of partner, death of siblingtravelthrupages's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Antisemitism, Physical abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Hate crime, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, and Torture
Moderate: Confinement, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Pregnancy
amnda527's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Medical content, Murder, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, and Gun violence
beccatalksbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I don’t know what it is about Jennifer Robson’s writing, but it just captures my heart! While her books tend to be slow paced, they are so lush with atmospheric well-researched historical ambience, and emotional resonance, that I can’t put them down! This one was no exception! I can’t wait for more of this series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Antisemitism
Minor: Rape
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